Pokemon Emerald Advance
by Lash 2.0
Summary: What if May never joined with Ash? Follow her adventures, along with her friend Brendan as they and a few other friend to be introduced later... journey around Hoenn! Very slight Hoennshipping... Dedicated to Artemis Wolfang CHPT 2 up Finally...
1. On Our Way!

Lash- Hello reader! First off, thanks for giving this story a try, it is most appreciated. Although this is mainly a dedication to my good friend, known here as Artemis Wolfang, I do plan to work on the story as much as I can. I do appreciate constructive criticism, as long as it's not in an insulting flame. You, the reader, will also have a say in the way this story goes, so follow the storyline well…

Disclaimer- Lash does not own Pokemon in any way, shape, or form, nor is he at all profiting from this piece. That being said, let the story begin!

" "People talking

'_Quoted Italics' _Thoughts

**_Bold Italics_**May's inputs

Pokemon- The Emerald Journey

A Fanfic by Lash 2.0

Dedicated to Artemis Wolfang

Chapter 1

**_Hey there! May here! And I guess you came here to hear my story, right? But of course you did! So here it is! I remember it like it was yesterday… My trip around Hoenn with my friends Brendan and- whoops! Almost gave it away! Anyway this is how it all began…_**

It was a bright sunny afternoon, and the sun was directly overhead, showering every inch of the meadow with its rays. It was a beautiful place, a wide open meadow overgrown with lush grass, with a random patch of pink flowers here and there. The blades of grass shifted as the wind blew its way gently through. Other than the dancing of the grass and flowers, nothing moved much, and only the song of the breeze could be heard. No human or Pokemon appeared to ruin the calm. It was relatively peaceful today, but it wouldn't be that way for long.

"Yahoo!" May shouted, as she pulled her red Mach bike up into a wheelie. She tilted her head back and looked at the sky. Her brown hair, tied down with a green and white bandana, rustled in the wind as she smiled. She was wearing a sleeveless red jacket with a white undershirt, a tight white skirt over her black bike shorts and a green waist bag on her hips. She came to a stop in front of a wooden arrow staked in the ground, and her bike slammed forward. Yawning, she stretched her arms to the sky and smiled.

**_That's me on my 10th birthday. I was on my way to a lab in Littleroot Town to receive my first Pokemon. You see, I come from a long line of super strong Pokemon trainers, and my parents expect me to follow in their footsteps. To tell the truth, I wasn't really not interested in Pokemon all that much. But I did eventually grow to love them! I've caught some really rare ones too, like- Oops! There I go again, almost giving everything away… Anyways, the only part of traveling with Pokemon that appealed to me back then was the traveling part. Ever since I was little, I always loved to explore, and I've wanted to travel all over the Hoenn region._**

"Littleroot Town..." She read aloud. She looked in the direction of the arrow. "Guess I gotta go that way!"

**_So basically this Pokemon journey was just a convenient excuse to do that. And what could be more fun than going to new places, seeing new things, and perhaps even making some new friends? Speaking of which… _**

"I can beat you and anyone else who gets in my way…" the boy said simply. He was standing in front an older boy, who was glaring down at him. Dressed in black pants, sleeveless jacket, and his head bowed to the ground so you couldn't see his eyes under his white hair, he didn't see at all intimidated.

"Is that so, rookie? You think you're so tough, huh? Looks like I'm going to have to knock you down a peg or two!" The trainer took out a pokeball. "I'll show you what a real trainer can do! Come and battle me!"

"Sure thing…" The boy finally looked up and smiled, his eyes shining. He held up his pokeball in front of him. "I accept your challenge! I hope you don't mind losing!"

**_And that is Brendan Birche, one of my friends who I traveled with! Pretty confident isn't he? And he's got a good reason to be; He really is strong, even more so than he was back then… And he was nice enough to let me go along with him on his journey! Well, not really… I sorta had to… Well you'll see later! And he and his Pokemon are super-strong, just watch!_**

"You little show-off. I'll show you what I'm capable of!" Brendan's opponent threw his ball at the ground. "Go, Geodude!" The ball snapped open and a Geodude appeared in a beam of red light.

"Geodude, huh? This should be an easy win! Go, Mudkip!" Brendan shouted. He pitched his ball, and before it even touched the ground, it popped open and revealed a small blue Pokemon. Mudkip tilted back on its legs, ready to spring forth.

"Geodude, Tackle attack!"

"Mudkip, Water Gun!"

Geodude threw itself at Mudkip, who immediately blasted it backwards with a jet of water.

"Now, use Tackle attack!" Brendan commanded. Mudkip dashed and slammed into Geodude before it had time to recover. The rock Pokemon careened back again.

"Geodude, use Rollout!" Geodude regained it composure and stretched its arms out. "Geodude!" it shouted, and began rolling along the ground, heading straight for Mudkip.

"Mudkip, dodge it!" Mudkip leapt into the air. "Now Water Gun, again!" Mudkip waited until it's jump propelled it right above Geodude. As soon a it did, it took aim and-

"No, Geodude!" Mudkip blasted Geodude once again, this time with so much force that it went flying straight up. Geodude slowed down its attack, but manage to pull out of the jet stream of water. It stopped rolling and floated back up, but it was exhausted…

"Mudkip, finish it off with another Water Gun!" Brendan shouted. Mudkip, still in the air, shot a third Water Gun at Geodude, even stronger than the first two. The power sent Geodude flying backwards into its trainer's arms. Mudkip received the push as well, flying backwards through the air and landing on Brendan's head.

"Geodude! How… can we have lost to a newbie trainer!" The trainer seemed on the verge of tears of frustration.

"Well, congratulations!" Brendan smiled. "You're the first trainer that me and Mudkip had to open a can of butt-whoop on!" He walked right passed him. "See ya, loser!"

**_Brendan! No need to be so harsh! Arrogant, isn't he? Can't say I didn't warn you, now! Brendan can be a bit of a big-head sometimes, but most of the time he's okay… Anyway on with the story!_**

"Ahh! This is the life!" May said, as her bike rolled on its own, taking her a good distance without having to pedal. She closed her eyes, tilted her head back and took a deep breath. "Just riding around, the sun in the sky, the wind in my hair. Free from any and all worry…" The bike slowed, and May pushed against the pedals again. She had never felt more carefree. "I could go on like this forever!" She shouted at the sky.

**_Okay… watch right now… This is how all the chaos begins…_**

She should have been watching were she was going. Her bike rolled down a hill, but May paid no mind, barely noticing the change in steepness. Slowly she picked up speed, and the hill tilted forward. Her bike was full speed now, and she had yet to pull any brakes. She opened her eyes and looked into the blue vastness of the sky, and a moment later…

"Ow!" May was thrown against the handle bars as her bike slammed into a rock jutting out off the ground. As if in slow motion, at least in May's eyes, the bike's back wheel lifted off the ground, the entire bike tilted forward. She nearly flipped over in the air when the front wheel hopped off the ground as well.

"Ahh…! Make it stop!" May screamed, as her bike did a 360 in mid-air. It crashed back down onto solid ground, but the ride wasn't over. The sheer steepness of the entire hill caused her and the bike to tumble down, bouncing against the floor every few seconds. "For the love of all that's good, make it stop!" she shouted, as she did her own version of 'Rollout'.

May finally let go of the bike and slammed onto the ground. She tumbled down to the hill, until she stopped abruptly and stopped in a sitting position. "Ouch… Remind me to never do that again…" May groaned, as she watched the bike continue its trip down, eventually crash-landing at the foot of the hill. Something yelped, and for a moment, she got the glimpse of a small grey and black bundle flying through the air before disappearing into the tall grass.

"What could that have been?" She stood up, with some effort, and walked over to her bike. It was fine, but something was moving in the grass behind it. "What the…" May bend over to look, when a small black and grey dog jumped out at her, a baseball-size red lump on its head.

"Eek!" May was so startled she sat right back down. "A wolf?" She didn't know it, but she was looking at a Poochyena, and a very pissed off one as well. The Poochyena growled and moved forward.

"It was you I hit!" May asked, moving backwards. She laughed nervously. "I'm sorry about that… You're not hurt too badly, are you?" She asked, her eyes scanning the bruise on it's head. The Poochyena sat back on its hindquarters, a low growl emitting from its throat.

"Yeah… Sorry…" May managed to stand and prop her bike back up. "I think I'll get going now…" She threw her leg over the side, and the Poochyena immediately let out a howl, one that made May shiver. In a blink, two Poochyena appeared from nowhere and the trio bared their fangs at her.

May whimpered as the three advanced on her. "Umm… look over there!" she said, pointing behind them. To her amazement, all three of them turned to see what the matter was. "See you, suckers!" she said, taking the chance to pedal away. "I can't believe you feel for that."

The Poochyena growled and took chase. "Oh no! Come on, leave me alone!" May said, speeding up as much as she could. The Poochyena bounded after her, each one jumping in turn, trying to bite at her wheels.

Meanwhile, a little farther off, Brendan and Mudkip were celebrating their very first win. Mudkip was still on Brendan's shoulder.

"And after we win our badges and catch a bunch of Pokemon," Brendan was saying "We'll go to Ever Grande and challenge the Elite Four. When we beat them, then we'll challenge the champion, beat him up, and then we'll be Champions! You're gonna help me with that, right?"

"Mudkip!" His partner nodded.

"Then it's a deal! With a Pokemon like you, I'll be a champ in no time!"

"Mud! Mudkip!" Mudkip nodded even more excitedly. He never thought his new trainer would be so ambitious! "Mud?" Its head fin shook a little. He sensed something near.

"Hmm? What's up Mudkip?"

Mudkip gestured behind them. Brendan turned.

"There's nothing there…" He said, but as if on cue, May's bike appeared over the horizon. "Oh… a girl and some bike… You think she might want to battle us?"

"Move outta the way!" May shouted, but it was too late. "Ah!" Before Brendan could even think about moving, the bike knocked him down and rolled over him, leaving a single line of tire tracks on his face.

**_Ouch… that must have really hurt…_**

"That really hurt…" he said, sitting up. "Are you ok, Mudkip?" No answer. "Mudkip? Where'd you go!"

"Mudkip!" The cry came from the basket of May's bike. In the collision, Mudkip had been knocked into the air and landed in.

"Oh…Hello there, where'd you come from?" May asked, once she realized what had landed in her bike.

"Mudkip!" Brendan jumped to his feet. "Hey, thief! Give me back my Mudkip!" He took chase, and a moment later the Poochyena trio came dashing behind without him even noticing.

May looked back at Brendan, but couldn't make out what he had said. "I wonder what he wants? Maybe the dogs are chasing him too? …Hmm… he doesn't look too happy…"

"Mudkip!" The water Pokemon screamed, causing May to look back in front.

"What's up? Oh!" May braked her bike. It slowed to a stop, and just in time. Any further and she would have ridden right over the edge of the cliff…

May looked over the edge. "Wow… Thanks for the warning… That would've been a nasty drop…"

"Hold it right there!" Brendan an over and stopped in front of her, out of breath. "Give me… back my… Mudkip… you… thief!"

"Who are you calling a thief!" May snapped. "Your Mudkip just landed here!"

"That's cause you ran me over!"

"I told you to move!"

"You should've slowed down!"

"I would've if I weren't being chased!"

"Chased?" Brendan's anger subsided. "Who's chasing you?"

"I dunno… Some dogs…" May squealed as the three Poochyena appeared. "There they are!"

Brendan turned around. The Poochyena barked sharply at him "Oh, those are Poochyena! Why would they come after you?" He looked at the lead Poochyena's bump. "Don't tell me you ran them over too…"

"It was an accident!" May objected. The three Pokemon ran right towards them.

"Mudkip, Water Gun!" Mudkip quickly shot them all with water, then jumped out of the basket and faced them.

"Yip, yip!" Together the three Poochyena dashed forwards and jump, curling their bodies up for a tackle.

"Mudkip, Tackle!" Mudkip slammed into them, scattering the opposition.

"Now, another Water Gun!" Brendan shouted. Mudkip send them into the air with its stream, and the three Poochyena continued to fly after the Water Gun stopped.

"Wow… That was your best Water Gun, yet, Mudkip!" Brendan commented as the wolves disappeared into the sky. "Return!" Mudkip was absorbed into its ball.

"That was amazing!" May dismounted her bike and walked over to them. "Thanks for your help!"

"No problem. Least I could do after accusing you like that! Why didn't you just use your Pokemon, though?"

May shrugged. "I haven't got one yet. I'm on my way to visit Prof.Birche."

Brendan blinked. "Oh, then you must be May! My dad said you would be starting your journey today, too!" He reached over and began shaking her hand heartily. "Wow! I can't believe I rescued Norman's daughter!"

May just let him swing her arm. "Um…Yeah… how do you know that?"

"My dad's Prof.Birche!"

"Oh! Then you're his son Brendan!" May smiled. _'Daddy did say something about Prof.Birche had a son about my age'_

"That's right!" Brendan let go of her hand and pointed at himself. "I'm Brendan Birche, Hoenn's next Pokemon Champion!"

"Right… Say, can you take me to your dad's lab?"

"I could, but he's out doing field research. Come on. I know where he usually hangs around! Follow me"

**_See? We hit it off right away! (Sorta) And that's how I made my first friend on my journey. I would make three more that day, of course, and one of them would be one of Brendan's number one rivals!_**

"Thank you, Prof.Birche!"

A few moments away, in a small clearing stood an old green army jeep. Prof.Birche had just given a Pokedex to a young boy. At 12 years old, he was already a semi well-known trainer. It was Ash Ketchum and on his shoulder was his faithful Pikachu. Behind him stood his friend Misty Waterflower, 14, with a Togepi in her arms, one of the Cerulean Gymleaders. Prof.Birche was now typing away on his laptop.

"Okay, Ash." He said after a moment. "All you're information is now in the Hoenn Region files! You can challenge the gyms now if you want!"

"Thanks Professor, I will! With Pikachu with me, I can't help but become the Champion!"

"Pikachu!"

Misty smiled. "With an attitude like that, you're sure to do that in no time!"

"Dad!"

Prof.Birche turned around. "Is that Brendan?"

"Hey Dad! Guess who I found!" Brendan appeared out of the bushes, wheeling the Mach bike, followed by May.

"Oh, well if it isn't May!" Birche smiled. "You've sure grown up! Last time I saw you, you were about your brother's age!"

"Nice to see you, Professor." May said, nodding slightly. "I'm here to choose a Pokemon…"

"You're starting your journey, today?" Ash interrupted. May nodded again.

"Oh, that's right." Prof.Birche stepped aside to present Ash and Misty. "May, Brendan this is Ash, his Pikachu, and Misty and her Togepi!"

"Nice to meet you!" said Brendan. His father reached into his bag and took out a small black case. He put it on the hood of the car and opened it, showing three Pokeballs.

"Okay, then, May. Let out each one and make you're choice!"

"Alrighty then…" May reached over and picked the first one as, Brendan, Ash, and Misty watched in interest.

"Come on out…" she said, and the ball popped open. A Treecko popped out.

"That's Treecko, the grass Pokemon." Said Birche.

The Treecko stared at May intently. It scoffed, put its nose in the air and turned away.

May frowned. "Well that's a rude one…"

"I think it's a cool Pokemon!" Ash said.

"I think I'll pass!"

"Try another one May…" Birche said.

May picked a second one. "Let's see what inside this one…" she said, as the pokeball snapped open and out came another Mudkip, only bigger and fatter.

"That's the water Pokemon, Mudkip!"

Misty's eyes glazed over. "It's so adorable, I gotta catch one!"

The Mudkip laid on its tummy and looked up at May. It yawned sleepily.

"Hey, Mudkip. How's it going?"

The Mudkip stared at her… then shot her in the face with a Water Gun. It giggled and rolled on its side.

"You think that's funny, huh? I'll try the third one…" May snapped as she wiped her face. She took the last ball and opened it. A small red chick Pokemon appeared on the hood of the car and looked at her.

"Ahh, Torchic, the fire Pokemon!" said the Professor.

"This one's not so bad…" May said, as the Torchic ran and jumped into her arms. It squealed and looked up at her with glowing eyes. "You want to be my first Pokemon?"

"Torchic!" Torchic nodded and squeezed against her.

"Okay then. I've decided. I'm choosing you, Torchic!"

"Not a bad choice, May!" Prof.Birche said, calling back the two rejected starters. "Torchic will provide a good challenge for rookies! And here you go!" He handed her a Pokedex.

"What's this?"

"That's a Pokedex. Whenever you meet a new Pokemon, you can just point it and it'll tell you everything you need to know. Why don't you try it out?"

"Ok…" May pointed it at all four Pokemon.

'_Torchic the Young Chick Pokemon. When endangered, a Torchic unleashes small fireballs from inside its body, where a fire is constantly burning within. If you hug it, it will be warm and plushy'_

'_Pikachu the Electric Mouse Pokemon. A Pikachu is packed with high voltage power that is unleashed though its red cheeks. This Pokemon is so conductive, no more than 4 of them can cause power outages.'_

'_Togepi the Spike Ball Pokemon. Togepi is said to grow along with its trainer's love and happiness. If this Pokemon ever senses that its friends are in peril, it will use an untapped magical power to save them' _

"Congratulations, May! You're a real trainer!" Ash said. "Now that means that we're all gonna be your competition!"

"We'll show you some real competition!" A voice shouted from the air.

Everyone looked up. Hovering above them was a giant Meowth-shaped balloon. In the basket where two people. One was a boy with blue hair with a bazooka on his shoulder. The other was a young woman with long purple hair. They both were wearing outfits with large R logos on the chests. Between them stood a Meowth on two legs, and a saluting Wobuffet. Brendan, May, and Prof.Birche didn't recognize them, but Ash and Misty did.

"Team Rocket!" They shouted angrily. (Pi Pikapi!)

"The one and only, twerp!" the girl said, sneering.

"Team Rocket? Who are they?" Brendan asked.

"They're a bunch of lousy thieves who use their Pokemon for evil!" Misty answered. "They always try to kidnap Pikachu!"

"That's right!" Meowth said. "And this time, we'll snatch that electric rat fo'sure!"

"Prepare for trouble!" The girl began.

"Make it double!" the boy continued.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!" The two formed an R with their bodies.

"Surrender now or prepare to fight, fight, and fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

"Wobuffet!"

May blinked. "What was that?"

"That's their pathetic motto! And it doesn't even make sense!" Ash shook his shoulder and Pikachu leapt into the air. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt them!" Pikachu's cheeks began sparking.

"I don't think so! Fire!" Meowth shouted.

"Have a taste of my Anti-Pikachu Balloon Blasting Bazooka 2.0!" James said, shooting the bazooka. A giant pink balloon blew out and bumped into Pikachu, engulfing it. Pikachu's attack was nullified inside the rubber barrier.

"We got you now, Pikachu!" Jessie said, taking out a long device. A rubber hand snatched up the balloon and brought it up them.

"Pikachu, try a Thunder!" Ash commanded. Pikachu cheeks blazed with electricity, but it fazed out as soon as it hit the balloon.

"Leave this to us, Ash!" Misty said. She placed her Togepi on the ground. "Metronome Togepi!"

"Toge!" Togepi waddled over, waved its hands and it's head began glowing. It bowed its head and began blasting pins out of its head.

"Alright, a Poison Sting!" Misty applauded as the needles poked the balloon, and Team Rocket came crashing towards them.

"Scatter!" Brendan shouted. The balloon didn't hit any of them, but it landed on top of May's discarded bike, but no one was paying any mind. Togepi directed it's attack at Pikachu's balloon, which popped. Pikachu ran over to them.

"Ahh!" Jessie popped out of the wreckage. "I'll show you a real Poison Sting! Arbok, go!" She shouted, throwing her Pokeball into the air.

James followed suit. "Weezing, Victrebel, you get out there as well!"

The three Pokemon appeared, ready to fight. Except for Victrebel, who turned and half- swallowed James.

"Pikachu, get out there!"

"Stick close to Pikachu, Togepi!" Togepi obeyed Misty and waddled behind Pikachu.

"Mudkip, come and help them out!" Brendan said, throwing his ball. Mudkip appeared and took its place next to Pikachu, finishing off the triangle formation, with Togepi shielded behind them.

"Arbok use Poison-" Jessie began, but Brendan interrupted her.

"Hold it!" He and May were checking their Pokedex. "We haven't seen these Pokemon before…"

"Oh…Well make it quick…" Jessie snapped.

'_Mudkip the Mudfish Pokemon. On land, it can powerfully lift large boulders by planting its four feet and heaving. A Mudkip's head fin acts as a radar, allowing it to navigate in murky waters safely'_

'_Arbok the Cobra Pokemon. An Arbok's body is packed with muscles near the skin designed to expand its muscles and still be flexible enough to wrap around, crush and suffocate enemies'_

'_Weezing the Poison Gas Pokemon. Weezing is said to be an unstable cloud of toxic gases formed by the fusion of two Koffing. If this Pokemon is hit too hard or knocked around, it will explode'_

'_Victrebel the Flytrap Pokemon. A Victrebel shoves prey into its large mouth and dissolves them with an acidic substance inside of it. This Pokemon often attacks people who grab its long vine'_

Jessie was tapping her foot impatiently. "Are you done yet?"

"Just two more…" May said.

'_Meowth the Scratch Cat Pokemon. This Pokemon easily becomes enthralled by round or shiny objects, and scouts the streets looking for coins. These Pokemon can be taught to count change.'_

"We can also learn to talk!" Meowth shouted

'_Wobuffet the Patient Pokemon. Usually docile, a Wobuffet never attacks first. If it is attacked though, it will use its powerful countering abilities.. If losing, this Pokemon will take its foe out with it'_

"Okay we're done!"

"Good! Now, Arbok, Poison Sting!" Arbok rose up and began shooting a spray of needles out of its mouth.

"Togepi, Safeguard!" Misty shouted. Togepi waved its hands and a small barrier surrounded the three Pokemon. The poison needles didn't get through, but the Safeguard disappeared.

"Weezing, Sludge Attack!" Weezing opened its wide mouth and shot numerous blobs at Mudkip.

"Mudkip, Water Gun!" Mudkip's water washed away the sludge and knocked Weezing back.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Ash shouted. Pikachu dashed towards the enemies, leaving a white trail behind it.

"Victrebel, Vine whip!" Victrebel's vine dashed out and slap Pikachu away.

"Pikachu, Thunder bolt!"

"Mudkip, Water Gun!"

"Togepi, Metronome!"

The three attacks combined (Togepi's Metronome had become a blast of bubbles). They were about to hit when-

Jessie grabbed her Wobuffet and threw it in front of the trio. "Wobuffet, use Protect!" Wobuffet glowed and the attacks faded out.

"May, they could use your help!" Prof.Birche said.

May nodded. "Okay… Torchic, go!" Her Torchic leaped out of her arms and joined the rest.

"Now call out it's attack!" Brendan coached.

"Which are?"

"Ember is a fire bullet attack, and Peck is… well a peck! Hurry!"

"Okay, Ember!" May shouted, her voice shaking. Torchic shot a barrage of small embers at Weezing.

"No! No! No!" Jessie groaned. "Arbok, Poison Sting!"

"Torchic, Peck Attack!" May shouted. Torchic looked back at her nervously, then turned and dashed blindly for Arbok, straight towards the spray of needles.

"Torchic, no!" May panicked.

"Pikachu, thunderbolt!" Ash shouted. Pikachu shocked Arbok, stopping its attack. Torchic dashed right past and jumped into the air, beating Wobuffet with its beak.

"Mudkip, Tackle!" Mudkip charged towards Victrebel and manage to knock it over.

"Togepi, Metronome!" Togepi waved its arms again. This time a stream of mud sent Weezing flying. "Again!" Misty ordered. Its hand glowed and began streaming out water.

"That's it! Arbok, Poison Sting. Wobuffet, Counter Attack!" Jessie yelled.

"Weezing, Sludge, Victrebel, Razor Leaf!"

Arbok rose up and began shooting needles. The water slammed into Wobuffet and flew back even faster. Weezing began coughing up a black slime and Victrebel sent leaves cutting through the air.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!

"Togepi, Metronome!"

"Mudkip, Water Gun!"

"Torchic, Ember!"

Pikachu let water hit it, and shot a bolt that traveled all the way back to Wobuffet. Togepi's Metronome turned into a Gust, scattering the Poison Sting and blowing away Arbok. Mudkip's Water Gun easily blasted out the Sludge and collided with Weezing. Torchic's ember blazed through Razor Leaf. The attacks sent Team Rocket's Pokemon crashing into their owners, until all of them were among the broken balloon.

"Togepi, another Metronome!" Togepi waved its arm and a jolt of electricity wrapped around Mudkip.

"Helping Hand!" Birche said. "Brendan tell Mudkip to attack!"

"Now Mudkip, send them flying with a Water Gun!" Brendan shouted.

Mudkip, energized by the helping hand, blasted a giant Water Gun.

"Whoa! It's a strong as a Hydro Pump!" Brendan said, wide-eyed, as the Water Gun blasted Team Rocket into the air.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" (Wobuffet!)

"Wow… they went pretty far…" Ash watched as Team Rocket disappeared, balloon and all. A red gleam sparkled for a moment.

"What was that?" Misty wondered aloud.

"My bike!" May screamed.

"Oh… I guess Mudkip must've sent it flying with that Water Gun…" Brendan shrugged. "Sorry about that…"

"Sorry…" May fell to her knees. "Do you know how long I saved up to buy that thing!" Torchic came over and tried to comfort her, but to no avail.

"Well… I said I was sorry…" Brendan said.

"Sorry doesn't cut it!" May shouted. "How am I supposed to get around now!"

"Try walking…"

Ash and Misty had backed away. "It's like…De Ja Vu…" they muttered.

"Walk? I didn't buy that thing so I would have to walk!"

"Ehh… I'm walking. There nothing wrong with it…"

"You… I'll get you for this, Brendan! You can count on it!"

"Bah…" Brendan turned away. "What are you gonna do? Stalk me?"

Lash-There it is! The Beginning! Now let me know what you all think, Keep it or Kill it? R&R


	2. Wally the Relunctant Trainer!

Lash- Hello, Lash here! First thing first- Thank you to all those who have reviewed, and to those who have given input. It's all appreciated. Now here goes chapter 2, where a new friend in introduced. cheers

Disclaimer- Lash does not own Pokemon in any way, shape, or form, nor is he at all profiting from this piece. That being said, let the story begin!

" "People talking

_'Quoted Italics' _Thoughts

****

Pokemon- The Emerald Journey

A Fanfic by Lash 2.0

Dedicated to Artemis Wolfang

Prof.Birche drove up in front of his lab. "Are you all ready to go to Oldale?" he shouted. Ash and Misty were sitting on the porch steps.

Ash shook his head. "May and Brendan are still upstairs…"

"She's probably still bugging him about her bike…" Misty added.

"They are?" Birche sighed. "Those two have been at it since yesterday." Almost immediately, Brendan came out of the house, yawned and put his arms behind his head.

"Good morning, everyone!"

"About time." Prof.Birche said. "Is May coming down yet?"

"May?" Brendan blinked as the door opened and May appeared, frowning. "Darn. You're still here? I was hoping you've already gone home…"

"I wasn't about to walk all the way there!" May yelled.

"You're pretty lazy then…"

"I wouldn't have to catch a ride if _someone_ hadn't blasted my bike to who-knows-where!"

"Would you just drop it?" Misty cut in. "In a few days it won't matter… You'll chase him around and you'll act like you just want your bike back when all you want is to just stick around with him"

May scoffed. "Yeah right… I wouldn't stoop that low…"

"And" Ash continued. "Eventually you'll both forget all about the bike and travel around together and become the best of friends. It happened to me and Misty."

Brendan faked a laugh. "Like that'll happen… You couldn't pay me to travel with her!"

"I won't have to, Brendan." Prof.Birche said simply. "Since you lost her bike, then you'll have to make sure she gets safely back home…"

"Hah!" May stuck her tongue out a t Brendan.

"What! But that's all the way in Petalburg!" He whined.

"Stop complaining… You're lucky I'm taking you all as far as Oldale!"

"Professor, don't you think you should slow down!" Misty yelled. She, Ash, Pikachu, Togepi and May were all in the backseat of Prof.Birche's jeep, which was currently blazing down the dirt road at high speeds, leaving behind a giant sandstorm.

"I told you guys to buckle up!" Brendan shouted, clearly enjoying the ride as he sat next to his dad.

"I wasn't expecting something like this!" Ash groaned as the car bounced up.

"I don't see why you're all getting worked up!" Birche shouted. "I've barely even got started!" The car sped up again, and everyone was thrown back over their seats.

"Professor!" May screamed. "There a cliff up ahead."

"Don't worry, May!" Brendan said. "Just hang on tight!"

"What that's supposed to MEAN?" May got her answer as Birche drive right off the cliff and into the air. The jeep floated over a few trees, then crashed onto a rocky road.

"What was that!" Ash shouted. "You could've killed us all!"

Prof.Birche ignored him. "That wasn't as far as before… Guess I'm losing my touch…"

"No matter." Brendan said, pointing up ahead. "You'll get another chance here! Floor it!"

"No! Don't floor it! Don't floor it!" Ash, Misty and May shouted as the jeep speeded up again.

"Yahoo!" Brendan laughed, throwing his arms in the air. The jeep flew over another cliff, this time dashing straight up into the air.

"I think this was my best jump yet!" Birche said, as the jeep dived back down.

"Please let this be the last one!" May whispered as the car slammed back onto firm ground.

"You guys are all punks!" Brendan said. "Dad's one of the best drivers around!"

"Watch out!" Misty yelled.

"Huh?" Prof.Birche snapped to attention, just in time to see what stood in their way. A boy about Brendan and May's age was running away from them, and seemed to be cradling something in his arms.

"You're gonna run him over!" May cried

"I've never run anyone over, and I'm not gonna start now!" The Professor made the jeep veered around the trainer, before screeching to a halt in the boy's way, leaving everything engulfed in a cloud of sand.

"What happened?" Ash wondered out loud, as they all got out he jeep.

The dust finally settled down. The boy was curled into a ball. He was wearing a white dress shirt, green jeans the same color as his hair and a large blue backpack. Everyone ran over to him. He was trembling, and looked like the smallest impact would have sent him flying.

"Are you ok?" Misty knelt in front of him.

"Yeah… I think so…" He said, his voice shaky, getting up.

May walked over. "Sorry about that… Prof.Birche can be a risky driver sometimes…

He looked up at them turned bright red. "Wow…" He giggled like an idiot, and he began shaking again. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have gotten in the way!" he started, talking very rapidly. "Sure I was in a hurry and everything but I should still make sure I'm not getting in anyone's way. That could've turned ugly and it would've been all my fault. But it didn't and that's good cause now I can get the to Oldale without getting you guys in trouble."

"Riiight…" Misty backed away. May just blinked.

"It's not your fault… dad's just a crappy driver…" Brendan said. He looked at his arms. "Is your Pokemon alright?"

"Huh? Oh right!" The kid shifted his arms so everyone could see. In his arms was a small white Pokemon with a green head and a red horn protruding out its forehead. It looked as if it had been knocked around very badly. " I have to get it to a center!"

"It's a Ralts!" The professor said. "Come on!" He gently lead the boy to the jeep. "We'll take you straight to the Pokemon Center in Oldale, come!"

"Nurse Joy! This Ralts needs attention right now!"

A young woman, apparently 'Nurse Joy', quickly rushed over with a small rolling table. Ralts was placed on the small bed. "My goodness… I'll be right back!" she said, as she rushed Ralts to a room in the back.

"Thank you so much, sir" The boy said. "I'm not sure I would have gotten here fast enough on my own."

Birche nodded. "You're welcome… By the way, I'm Prof. Birche."

"I'm Ash Ketchum."

"I'm Misty"

"I'm Brendan."

"And my name's May"

"I'm Wally… nice to meet you…"

"Wally, what happened to your Ralts?" Ash asked.

"It isn't my Ralts, and I'm not sure what happened… I found it under this bike…" he didn't notice their surprised looks. "I think somebody hit it and ran off."

"That was all Brendan's-" May began, but Brendan clapped his hand over her mouth.

"So… You're saying Ralts isn't your Pokemon?" Misty asked.

Wally shook his head. "I'm not even a trainer yet… That's the only reason I found it. I was going to Littleroot to get my first Pokemon..."

"I see… Would you like to choose a starter now?" Birche asked.

"That's alright… I haven't decided yet on one… I'm not even sure if I would be a good trainer."

"Are you kidding?" Ash said. "You were going to bring Ralts all the way here because you saw it was hurt, and it wasn't even your own Pokemon!"

"That's a good trainer in my book!" Misty agreed. Wally turned red again, but was saved from answering when Nurse Joy walked back in.

"Excuse me… Which one of you is Ralt's trainer?" she asked. A confused silence followed but Brendan pointed at Wally.

"If Ralts belongs with anyone, its Wally here…"

"Well, your Ralts will be alright in a while. Its already recovered a bit already." Nurse Joy curtsied and returned to the back.

"That's…great."

"Pick up…Pick up…"

Elsewhere in Oldale, cramped in a small telephone booth, was Team Rocket. They were currently trying to get connected to their boss in Viridian City.

The picture of a wealthy, powerful looking man appeared on the screen. He was sitting back in a chair, sipping a glass of wine from one hand.

"Now what do you two want!" He asked impatiently.

"Good morning, Sir!" Jessie smiled.

"You're certainly looking sharp today!" said Meowth.

"Let's get straight to the point!" he barked. "What are you two up to know?"

"Well, we're currently in Oldale town…" Jessie explained. "You see, we've been chasing this very rare Pokemon that we think you might be interested in…"

"I see… A legendary Pokemon?" He stroked his chin. "And all these years I thought you two were wasting my time…"

"Well… It's not so much a legendary Pokemon, as it is amazingly powerful!" James said.

"Well, if you have told me this before on your previous calls… I would have been much easier on you!" He swirled the wine in his cup. "So tell me… What Pokemon have you been chasing all this time?"

"Oh it's a very powerful one!" Jessie began excitedly.

"One attack from it is enough to destroy our toughest of robots!" James squealed.

"I see…" The boss was barely able to suppress a smile. "Tell me more…" He took another swig of his wine.

"And its amazing fast and agile!" Jessie continued.

"It makes a Rapidash look like a sitting Psyduck!" Meowth added.

"Intriguing… And what is this Pokemon called?"

"It's a Pikachu!" All three shouted. They half-expected the boss to jump for joy. Giovanni did jump, but not for joy.

"WHAT WAS THAT!" He demanded, getting up so quickly his chair was knocked backwards.

"A…a Pikachu?"

"A PIKACHU! Do you not remember what Pokemon I happen to specialize in?" All three shook their heads shyly.

"Ground types!" he bellowed. "Why would I want a tiny little mouse who's attacks wouldn't even make a dent in any of my own Pokemon!"

"We just thought…"

"What were you thinking!" He demanded.

Meowth came up with a quick answer. "Since you've got ground Pokemon, somebody might try to use Water against you!"

"Oh!" Jessie caught on. "And if that happens, you just pull out Pikachu and blast them away!"

Giovanni laughed. "Good idea… If you had been a little faster it would have amounted to something…. Unfortunately, I happen to have a new mascot! Come out you two!"

From the darkness behind him came out two Pokemon. A large beige cat appeared at his right and stuck its tongue out at them.

"It's that stupid Persian…" Meowth muttered.

"Rai Rai!" The second Pokemon appeared. A large orange mouse with huge ears, a long lightning bolt tail, it was Pikachu's evolved form-Raichu. It waddled over and stood at Giovanni's right

"A Raichu!" Team Rocket shouted in horror.

"Yes, a little gift from Butch and Cassidy… You see why I won't need a Pikachu anymore… But I'll let you redeem your years of uselessness…"

"Please sir! We'll do anything!" James begged.

"You say you're in Hoenn, right? You two happen to be the only Rocket members in that area. The Hoenn region is loaded with many Pokemon not found in Kanto or Johto."

"Ah! And you want us to capture you some!" Jessie realized.

"Precisely. And I want you to establish a base in Hoenn. Do that and you will be rewarded most handsomely."

"Don't you worry about it boss!" Meowth saluted. "We'll get you your base just you wait!"

"Good! Now I'm counting on you all to widen the Team Rocket's arsenal!"

"We won't fail you this time! We promise! Team Rocket Out!" Team Rocket hung up and the screen black out.

Back in his office, Giovanni sat back into his chair and began petting Persian and Raichu.

"Well that'll get them out of my hair for a while…Chasing a Pikachu all these years… I honestly don't know why I put up with those two…" He gently began rubbing Persian between the ears.

"Persian…"

He began petting Raichu as well. "At least Butch and Cassidy were smart enough to bring me this Raichu!"

"Rai Rai!"

Nurse Joy walked in with Ralts in her arms. "Here's your Ralts!"

"Hello Ralts!" Wally said. "Are you feeling any better?"

Ralts stared at him for a moment (Or at least it seemed to be; It's eyes weren't visible). It seemed to take him in for a moment. Its horn began trembling.

"What's it doing?" May asked. Brendan pointed his Pokedex at Ralts.

_"Ralts, the Feeling Pokemon. A Ralts uses the horn on its head to sense the emotion of others. In danger, a Ralts will block its Trainer with its small body. Its loyalty is so strong, it will follow its trainer all its life" _

"It must be checking if we're any good."

"Ralts!" Ralts horn stopped vibrating and it jumped straight into Wally's arms.

"Hello there, Ralts! My name's Wally! And that's Prof.Birche, Brendan, May, Ash, Pikachu, Misty and Togepi!"

It waved at them. "Ralts!"

"It looks all better now. It must not have been too hurt." said Ash.

"I guess I gotta take you back to the woods now, Ralts."

May walked up. "Wally, can you show me where you found Ralts?"

"Sure… but why?"

"I think… that bike that hit Ralts… It might've been mine…"

"You ran Ralts over!

"No! Brendan's Mudkip did that!"

Wally blinked. "Mudkip ran Ralts over with a bike?"

"We were in a battle, and my Togepi used Metronome." Misty explained. "It turned into Helping Hand and made Mudkip's Water Gun super strong!"

"And it ended up washing May's bike away." Prof.Birche finished.

Brendan smiled as sincerely as he could. "So you see; it was all just a big accident. I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize to me." Wally pulled Ralts off him and held it in front of Brendan. "Tell that to Ralts."

"I'm sorry Ralts…"

"Ral!"

"I think it was somewhere around here…" Wally was cradling Ralts in his arms and leading everyone through the woods. They trudged through a few bushes and reached a tiny clearing. Some branches and leaves were scattered suspiciously about, and in the middle of it…

May cheered. "Yay! My bike!" She ran toward it.

"Stop right there!" May stopped short as Misty's iron grip grabbed her by the shirt.

"What's going on?"

"Doesn't that look a little familiar, Ash?" Misty asked.

"It feels like a Team Rocket trap." he agreed. "The old 'Put the bait over the trap hole and hope we fall in' trick!"

"Team Rocket?" Wally asked.

"Their a bunch of lousy thieves who keep bugging us… Everyone just step back…" Ash said. Everyone took a step back but Wally, who just looked back at the bike, confused.

"I told you they wouldn't fall for the same thing!" Jessie screamed. Above them, Team Rocket's balloon was slowly making a landing.

"Guess we'll have to switch to Plan B!" Meowth sneered.

"Prepare for trouble- Trap holes won't work in this season!"

"Make it double- You've made me dig a hole for no reason!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!" The two formed an R with their bodies.

"Surrender now or prepare to fight, fight, and fight!"

"Meowth! That's right!"

"Wobuffet!"

"Team Rocket!" Ash and Misty shouted. (Pi Pikapi!)

"Twerps!" Jessie, James and Meowth snapped back, hopping out of the balloon.

"You guys again?" May wondered aloud. "What are the chances?"

"I told you they're always following us." Misty shouted. "What do you guys want now?"

"Not your Pikachu, that's for sure!" Jessie snapped.

"We're done chasing that electric rat!" Meowth added.

"We're going after something new! Go, Victrebel, Weezing!" James threw his pokeballs and Jessie followed. "Go, Arbok and Wobuffet!"

"Pikachu, I choose you!"

"Come on out, Mudkip!"

"Let's go, Torchic!"

Misty's Togepi hopped out of her arms. "Be careful out there, Togepi"

Torchic, Mudkip and Pikachu, stood forward, Togepi behind way. Team Rocket's Pokemon moved into an opposite formation, Wobuffet in front with the other three behind them.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!

"Mudkip, Water Gun!"

"Torchic, Ember!"

"Arbok, Acid!"

"Weezing, Sludge, Victrebel, Razor Leaf!"

The attacks collided in mid-air canceling each other out.

"Wow…" Wally stood off to the side with Prof.Birche. "Those are some strong moves…"

The eight Pokemon and six trainers faced off for a moment… than all hell broke loose.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!

"Mudkip, Tackle!"

"Torchic, Ember!"

"Arbok, Poison Sting!"

"Weezing, Tackle, Victrebel, Razor Leaf!"

Mudkip and Weezing slammed into each other, equally matched, the force sending them both rebounding backwards. Torchic's Ember struggled against the Razor Leaf and Poison Sting. It's Ember finally failed, and the pins and leaves headed straight towards it.

"Togepi, Safe Guard!" Togepi jumped in front of Torchic just in time to block the onslaught of attacks. Pikachu took the moment to dash forward leaving a white trail behind itself.

"Wobuffet Counter!" Wobuffet mimicked Togepi's technique and hopped in Pikachu's path, sending it flying backwards. Torchic made a move to try and catch, and only succeeded in knocking itself and Pikachu down. James and Jessie took advantage of the commotion to attack once more.

"Victrebel, Vine Whip!" Victrebel's vine wrapped around Mudkip and swung it into Torchic and Pikachu, all three landing in a crumpled heap.

"Togepi, try a Metronome again!" Togepi's eyes began glowing, surrounding itself ing a deep purple aura.

"To…ge…piiii!" Togepi surrounded all four of its opponents in the same aura, slamming them into the ground.

"Is that Psychic?" Misty wondered aloud.

"Even better, that's a Psycho Boost!" Wally said excitedly.

Togepi continued to slam them on the ground. After a few more attacks it sent them flying back towards its trainers.

"How'd you know what attack that was?" Brendan asked.

"Psychic Pokemon are my favorite! " Wally answered. Ralts looked up at him and smiled.

"That was amazing, Togepi!" Misty cheered. Togepi smiled and waved at her.

"We'll see how amazing it is after this!" Jessie jumped up and pushed Arbok forward. "Give Togepi a Headbutt Attack!" Arbok began slithering over. It leapt in the air, coiled up ready to knock Togepi into submission…

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!" Pikachu ran over just in time, slamming its tail forward. Arbok shifted out of the way, then butted Pikachu aside.

James caught on to Jessie's technique. None of the Pokemon were willing to let little Togepi get hurt. "Weezing, Tackle, Victrebel, Slam!"

Weezing threw itself in Togepi's direction, followed by Victrebel's long vine.

"Torchic, Peck!"

"Mudkip, Tackle!"

Both starters dashed in front of Togepi, pushing against the attacks. Torchic was slapped back by the vine. Mudkip and Weezing met head on once more.

"Weezing Sludge Bomb!" Weezing backed up and blasted Mudkip with a surge of toxic sludge.

"This isn't looking good…" Prof.Birche whispered. Pikachu, Torchic and Mudkip had landed

"There's got to be something else the can do…" Wally said. He looked down at Ralts…

"Arbok, Poison Sting!"

"Weezing, Sludge Bomb! Victrebel, Razor Leaf!" The attacks cascaded forward as one.

"Togepi, no!" Misty grabbed Togepi in her arms, and curled up for the impact… Just as Wally had done with Ralts.

"Ralts, Confusion!" Wally screamed. Ralts horn began glowing and the attacks stopped in mid-air, then re-directed themselves into the air.

"This stops now!" "Ralts!" Wally stood between Team Rocket and Misty and the Pokemon, still cradling Ralts in his arms.

"Move it!" Jessie shouted. "I swear, these twerps multiply over night!"

"You're going to leave now, got it?" Wally said.

"And who's gonna make us? Your little Ralts?" Meowth's claws snapped out. "I can beat it myself! Try out a Fury Swipes attack!"

"I hate bullies like you guys! Ralts, Confusion again!" Wally commanded. Ralts shot it out as a beam, slamming Meowth into Arbok into Weezing into Wobuffet into Jessie into James...

"Wow, Wally even better at this than you, Brendan!" May said as Team rocket landed in heap around their balloon.

"I wouldn't say that…" he answered dryly. "But he IS doing pretty well…"

Misty walked over with a shivering Togepi in her arms. "Don't you mean great?"

"Come on Ralts! Let's finish them off!"

"Arbok, Acid!"

"Weezing, Sludge Bomb! Victrebel, Razor Leaf!"

The three attacks directed towards Wally.

"Ralts… use Confusion!"

Lash- Haha! Cliff hanger! Happy Holidays everyone!


End file.
